Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield — Although Christmas Eve isn’t until Thursday, Santa Claus was ready for business last Friday with an early evening errand in the Wakefield area.
Members of the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department helped Santa to enact the important task of delivering responses to local kids who had sent letters to the big guy via the municipal building.
“These are the little things that make a small town a home,” said City Manager Robert Brown, Jr. prior to the event.
Late on Friday afternoon, Fire Chief Mike Singleton and Firefighter Robert Lane were all smiles as they finalized preparations for Santa to deliver replies to each child’s letter.
The responses were tucked within envelopes that included an official North Pole stamp, complete with a wax seal.
Goody bags also were delivered with each envelope. “The American Legion donated some of the candy for that,” said Brown regarding Wakefield’s Post 11.
Brown said that Mayor Pro Tempore Amy Tarro prepared the bags with additional donations from her own family members.
Other city staff members helped with advance preparations by arranging the official responses.
While reviewing children’s letters in advance last week, Brown said that some children had been brutally honest about how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected them.
“I hope your year has been better than mine,” stated one child, who bemoaned shutdowns such as school closures.
Other children’s letters focused on preferred gifts, with one of them including an impressive pictorial of a desired truck.
Singleton said that his crew — including Brown — would deliver responses to 33 kids at 24 stops. Most of them were in Wakefield, but one delivery was in Bessemer.
Dalton Bouvette in Wakefield was first on the list.
The stops included sirens and flashing lights, and Santa exited one of the engines each time to hand-deliver the goods.
The chief said his guys also would stop at Gogebic Medical Care Facility, so that residents there could enjoy a glimpse of Santa through the windows.
Santa, who was all beard and bustle as he arrived for the drive, looked dapper in a glossy, white beard and a natty red suit.
He offered a general message for all children looking forward to the holidays with their families: “Kids, make sure you’re on the ‘good’ list and not the ‘naughty’ list. Listen to Mom and Dad.”
Santa also offered to all local residents “a joyous and happy Christmas.”
Brown, who was pleased with the “fun” event, said that he hopes to partner with Santa again next year.
